Kiribati Takuia Uakeia Kiribati is a small island nation composed of 33 islands in the Central Western Pacific lying astride the equator. It has three island groups: the Gilbert Islands (16 islands), Line Islands (9 islands), and Phoenix Islands (8 islands). The country extends 800 kilometres from north to south and 3,200 kilometres from east to west. The islands, situated on top of extinct undersea volcanic mountains, are made up of limestone, sand and rubble, with a soil very poor in plant nutrients. The highest point above sea level is around three metres, apart from Banaba, formerly known as Ocean Island, which is a raised coral atoll. Although Kiribati has a land area of only 810 square kilometres, the great distances separating the islands comprising the nation have generated a vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of more than 4.8 million square kilometres, one of the world’s largest. Background Before contact with Europeans the people (I-Kiribati) lived in extended family groups on isolated islands, with a subsistence, communal lifestyle and limited contact with the outside world. The values embraced in these poorly resourced islands included sharing, helping one another and moderation of needs within the community. The people lived in clans where the old men were (and still are) regarded as leaders of the family and custodians of the traditional culture. Individual members of the family Takuia Uakeia, formerly a member of the Kiribati Public Service (including three years as a Clerk of Parliament), is a Lecturer in Education at the University of the South Pacific, Kiribati Campus. 118 Kiribati 119 held different assigned roles to be carried out for the proper functioning and continuity of the culture. In 1604, islands of the Gilbert Group were first sighted by the Spanish explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós; however, British Captain Thomas Gilbert was the first European to document these islands in 1788 and the islands were named after him. Three decades later, the islands were visited by beachcombers, whalers, traders, blackbirders, missionaries and, finally, British administrators. The contact with Europeans was a period of wonder but caused feelings of both hatred and acceptance. On the positive side, outsiders were accepted for introducing beneficial ideas; missionaries invented the alphabet of the Kiribati language and traders introduced modern tools. On the negative side were firearms, new diseases, and practices such as smoking and prostitution. The introduction of a new government system by British administrators was seen by the elderly as in conflict with local culture and tradition. The appointment of a younger generation to posts such as island magistrates and constables was contrary to traditional practices. Consequently, it took quite a long time for people to fully participate. The ‘contact’ events showed I-Kiribati how a stronger foreign power can interfere with political, social and economic life. This lesson can still be seen with the domination of larger and more powerful countries over small island states. The traditional political system The maneaba, a multi-purpose meeting hall, is the centre of the traditional political system in the village. It is here that the old men, by virtue of their status, come and occupy their sitting positions and make decisions about the affairs of the community. These discussions and decisions are intended to promote the well-being of the people and the strengthening of order and peace in the community. The decisions from the maneaba, based on lengthy discussions, are taken by consensus among the Unimwane (old men) and are then passed on to the community for implementation. While families have the right to decide matters in their homes, the maneaba system exists for the purpose of making just decisions for the benefit of everyone in the community. There are no political parties in the maneaba system; every old 120 Pacific Ways man has to contribute to framing decisions for the people’s benefit. The system reflects a consciousness of limited resources and illustrates a monoculture in islands where the people speak only one language, the Kiribati language (Te Taetae-ni-Kiribati). By tradition, young men and women are never involved in the decision-making but are regarded as central in the implementation of decisions coming out from the maneaba. The importance of the maneaba can never be underestimated in the current Western political system because it represents the entire life of the community. The maneaba system can effectively facilitate order and stability in the society, as well as the dissemination and implementation of government policies by the community. The new political system The acceptance by the I-Kiribati of a Western, democratic political system for the government of the nation was evidenced in the adoption of the country’s constitution at independence on 12 July 1979. The constitution marked a turning point: from traditional, isolated, island- oriented government by a Council of Unimwane through the maneaba system, to citizenship in a nation under a central government. The new system differed enormously from the traditional system as it was based on formal, structured institutions, procedures, rules and laws, requiring capable citizens with specified Western knowledge and skills, and huge resources for its effective operation. Some of the concepts relating to the new political system remain too complex to be understood by those with limited education, requiring greater community engagement and inclusion in the country’s senior secondary school curriculum. The new political system was based on the ‘separation of powers’ between the three arms of government: the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The division of powers is stipulated in the constitution and clearly emphasises the notion that a government under a democratic system cannot exist without true independence of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. Checks and balances are provided when power is divided: the legislature makes the laws; the executive enforces them; and the judiciary interprets them. Despite this model, there are times where people feel that the executive extends its jurisdiction for political purposes and reaches the boundaries Kiribati 121 of the legislature and judiciary. This reflects the executive’s dominance over both the legislature and the judiciary, in part through the election of the Speaker and the appointment of the head of the judiciary (the chief justice) by the Beretitenti (president). More broadly, the executive can be influential by taking steps that suit the Cabinet’s political agenda. Most elected governments in Kiribati are stable, surviving three consecutive four-year terms (in accordance with mandatory term limits), governing the nation with a parliamentary majority. Figure 1: The Three Constitutional Organs of the Government of Kiribati Source: Takuia Uakeia, Governance issues Affecting Development in Kiribati, PhD thesis, 2012 The election process The election structures and processes employed follow the usual forms found in Western democratic countries. These include the establishment of an electoral bureaucracy to run elections, including procedures for nomination of candidates and the conduct of voting with proper supervision and safeguards. Multi-member constituencies are defined based on the latest five-yearly census. There is one elected member for islands with fewer than 1,500 people, two members for islands with between 1,500 and 5,000 people, and three members for constituencies with more than 5,000 people. There are 46 members of the legislature: 44 elected for a four-year term; one appointed member from the Banaban community on Rabi Island (in Fiji); and the attorney-general. 122 Pacific Ways Kiribati has a two-round voting system. A candidate who receives more than 50 per cent of the valid votes is declared elected. When no candidate receives a majority, a second round is conducted, restricted to the leading candidates. Citizens are eligible to vote if they are at least 18 years old and registered. Despite legislation designed to prevent vote- buying by candidates, cultural values and family ties still have a strong influence on voting behaviour. In most outer islands, during campaigns it is normal for candidates to visit each household and bubuti (plead) with members of close-knit families to vote for them. Some candidates could be said to commence their campaigns years before an election, making ‘donations’ and providing other forms of assistance to an island or village in the hope and expectation of attracting votes. Local issues, rather than national policies, are a powerful influence on remote islands where voters have had limited educational opportunities. Following the announcement of election results, the 44 successful candidates will commence consolidation of political groupings based on shared interests. Political parties Political parties exist in the Parliament but do not have entrenched ideologies connecting to the wider population. The culture has long nurtured consensual decision-making in the maneaba system rather than the adversarial approach so evident in Western countries. In addition, the strong traditional lifestyles in villages on scattered isolated islands pose difficulties for efforts to mobilise nationwide political party movements. Emulating democratic governments in developed nations, elected members in Kiribati have adopted ways to form groupings based on ‘shared interests’ rather than deep-rooted